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Imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better and are in need of his protection.

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“Dark Shadows” follows Barnabas Collins, a man from the 1700s who spurns Angelique (a witch), and is subsequently transformed into a vampire. He is imprisoned in a coffin by Angelique for 200 years before finally escaping. The only problem? The year is now 1976, and the surviving Collins family members are down on their luck. The family’s fishing business (where their fortune originally was made) has been run into the ground by a rival company owned by a still-living Angelique. When he arrives, Barnabas makes it his mission to restore the Collins to their formal glory, and hilarity ensues.

“Dark Shadows” is loosely based on the 1966-1971 sitcom of the same name. Overall, “Dark Shadows” is an enjoyable film that can be a described as a funny horror movie. The actors do a wonderful job of bringing their characters to life. The characters themselves are unique and interesting, and each one has an intricate backstory specific to them. The setting is just creepy enough to give viewers the chills, but the entertaining neon lights and upbeat music of the seventies helps to combat this fear. The plot of “Dark Shadows” is clever, and is filled with a pleasant blend of scares and humor.

The author of this review highly recommends “Dark Shadows”. It is a funny, spooky movie that will keep viewers entertained. While fans of the original television show may find the film to be a bit disappointing, others will find it interesting. The author of this review believes this film to be suitable for ages thirteen and up.

A lot of people criticized this as just another excuse for Tim Burton and Johnny Depp (I think this is their 8th film together) to screw around. And Depp does follow the formula he's been using since "Pirates:" funny haircut, elaborate costume, accent. Maybe because I had really low expectations, but I kinda enjoyed this big screen adaptation of the cult TV show. It's largely a triumph of production design (Charles Addams meets the groovy 70s) and casting. Depp is supported (and often upstaged) by Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Grace Moretz, Helena Bonham-Carter and a very sensual Eva Green. Alice Cooper and Christopher Lee have bit parts. I never saw the show, so can't compare, but some fans objected to the kitschy, tongue in cheek tone of this.

I was surprised to find I LOVED this movie! I had actually expected not to, which is why I waited so long to see it. I was a Dark Shadows fan as a kid, and I too was happy to see how much of the original storyline they used. I went back a re-watched original episodes to compare and was pleasantly astonished to discover some of the original dialog was even incorporated into the script! As I often do in Tim Burton films, I found the over the top makeup for Barnabas distracting but I thoroughly enjoyed Depp's portrayal of the character. I also loved the 1972 humor references. I lived through 1972 and they got it EXACTLY right! Loved that! Also loved the Gorey reference in Barnabas' daytime costume, complete with umbrella. Also loved the cameos of some of the original Dark Shadows cast. How do I give this a whole row of stars?

The majority of this movie was mostly just dialouge. I thought they had a really good storyline and they had brilliant actors who really acted out their part. Part of the reason I watched this movie was for Chloe Grace Moretz.

I was a HUGE Dark Shadows fan when I was age 7-10 when it was first on the air. Truly, I was one of those kids who ran home from school to watch the show. I even started watching the soaps before it because I was waiting for DS. I was disappointed when I heard that Burton and Depp were taking a more comedic approach to the movie. However, I was actually quite pleased with the film, itself. For sure, there were a lot of funny bits but there was also a respect for the core characters and the core storyline. I ended up watching the movie twice because during the first viewing I was riddled with anaesthetic from surgery earlier that day and I, literally, could not remember a thing afterwards. Depp does an amazing impression of Jonathan Frid's 'Barnabas Collins', down to little facial tics and his cadence of speech. If you were/are a Dark Shadows fan, keep an open mind but definitely watch the film. If you are new to the world of Dark Shadows, then definitely watch the original TV episodes and the movies.

Quotes

Barnabas: You know, there was a time long ago when I believed money makes the man. When I believed it was the answer to all that ailed us. But it is not the size of the house that makes the man great Master David. It is the people he shares it with. Money will come and go. Family is the only real wealth.
David: So we don't need money to make our family great again?
Barnabas: No, Don't be daft. We shall need an exorbitant amount of money.